President of the union S.P. Withanage said this was contrary to the Election Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayaka’s directive that state institutions should stop giving appointments, promotions and transfers to state employees during the period of the Presidential election.He alleged that the Transport Minister had given more than 200 appointments in the Railway Department on December 7 and more than 500 appointments were given in the Department yesterday. (Read More)

The Attorney General forwarded a Security Assessment Report on General Sarath Fonseka to the Supreme Court yesterday when the Fundamental Rights petition filed by the former Army Commander and former Chief of Defence Staff with regard to his security was taken up for hearing.

The matter was taken up before the Bench comprising Chief Justice Asoka de Silva, Justices N.G. Amaratunga and P.A. Ratnayake. (Read More)

Former Secretary General of Sri Lanka’s main opposition United National Party, Sirisena Cooray and UNP North Western PC member Sudath Chandrasekara met the President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the Temple Trees and pledged their support for him at the forthcoming Presidential election.

Sirisena Cooray is the chairman of the Sri Lanka National Congress, the new political party formed by the Justice and Law Reforming Minister, Milinda Moragoda last month.

The party has pledged to work closely with and offer full support to the UPFA and the President.

Minister Milinda Moragoda and Mr. R.A.D. Sirisena were also present at the occasion.

Members of the JVP who were engaged in propaganda campaign of the common candidate Gen. Sarath Fonseka have been attacked at several places yesterday (9th) night and today (10th) morning states the media unit of the JVP.

According to the media unit of the JVP a group of JVP supporters and members engaged in the election campaign at a place between Maradana police station and the flyover was attacked by policemen who had arrived in several police vehicles. One of the vehicles has been identified as a blue coloured double cab bearing Re. No. LF 0644.

At Narahenpita another group of JVP members who were pasting posters have been attacked by a group of thugs and later the thugs have run for protection to CTB dept at Narahenpita. The Minister of Transport is behind this group of thugs who have been deployed to attack those who engage in election campaign of the opposition.

A group of thugs who had arrived in a brown coloured dolphin van had attacked a group of JVP members travelling in a three wheeler near St. Bridget’s Convent at Colombo 7.

A group of members of the JVP engaged in election campaign at Gunasinghepura has been attacked by a group of thugs who had arrived in a white van.

Another group engaged in propaganda work at Thunmulla junction at High-level Road was attacked by a group of thugs who had arrived in a white van.

A group of JVP members engaged in election campaign at Minuwangoda has been attacked by a group of thugs who had arrived in a red coloured double cab belonging to the Road Development Board (RDB). A motor cycle belonging to JVP members had been severely damaged in the incident.

Another group of JVP members has been attacked at Weliweriya by a group of thugs who had arrived in a white van belonging to RDA. The JVP member Jagath Priyadharshan who was severely injured in the incident has been admitted to Ragama hospital. A complaint No. E 01/07 has been lodged at Weliweriya Police regarding this incident.

Members of the JVP engaged in propaganda work for the presidential election at Meewithigammana Junction at Attanagalle were attacked by thugs who had arrived in two white vans. One van did not have a number plate while the number plate of the other had been covered. JVP members Samanpriya Laksiri and Wasanthe Wijekumara who were injured in the incident have been admitted to Wathupitiwala Hospital.

The Police Inspector of Rattota Police who brought a person before court with the charge that he had disfigured a photograph of the President was severely reprimanded by the Additional District Magistrate of Matale Saliya Perera and warned that Court would keep the conduct of Rattota Police under surveillance, specially during the election period.

After releasing H.M. Abeyratne of Madurawala, Rattota who had been produced by Rattota Police on a charge of disfiguring a photograph of President Mahinda Rajapakse, Magistrate Saliya Perera addressing the open court asked the police whether a person could be charged for such an offence under clause 418 in penal code.

The Magistrate said the law of the country is same for every citizen and asked the police not to take judicial powers into their hands. He said there is no bias for colour or political party in Court and added that President is only another individual in Court. The Magistrate warned the Inspector of Police not to lose the respect of the uniform by acting against the penal code.

The presidential election is conducted under a preferential voting system. The voter can mark three preferences as 1, 2, & 3 in the ballot paper according to his/her wish. The candidate, if any, who receives more than one-half of the first preference, is declared elected as President.  Where no candidate has received more than one-half of the first preference, candidates who received the highest and second highest number of such votes will stay in the competition and other candidates will be eliminated from the competition. (Read More)

While TNA leader R. Sampanthan, MP and Democratic Peoples Front leader Mano Ganeshan, MP are engaged in discussions on extending their support to the common Opposition candidate General Sarath Fonseka, Vanni District parliamentarian Shivanathan Kishore and two other TNA MPs are in favour of supporting President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

M. K. Sivajilingam, MP has declared that in the event of any TNA parliamentarians not entering the fray, he would contest the election.